Patient Guide to Services

This guide has been produced as part of the RCGP’s aim to build stronger relationships between you and your doctors and encourage the involvement and inclusion of you in your own care.

The guide provides helpful information on all aspects of using GP services: from finding and choosing a practice and how to get the most out of a GP consultation to accessing health records and understanding patients’ rights and responsibilities.

It is split into several sections including:

General Practice explained

Choosing the right practice for you

Registering with a GP practice

Seeing your GP – consultations

Seeing your GP – the next steps

After your GP consultation

Your health record

Your rights and responsibilities as a patient

Get involved with your practice

The publication is part of a push by the NHS as a whole to encourage you to understand how you can get the most out of primary care – which also includes how you can become more involved in monitoring your own health.